Nuclear Care Partners and the full picture of care for Nevada’s atomic workers
Most people see the part above the surface: a compassionate nurse arriving at the door, a reassuring hand, care that feels deeply personal. But that moment is just one piece of a much larger picture. At Nuclear Care Partners, compassionate care is fueled by rigorous clinical programs and relentless advocacy – all working together to help former atomic workers live healthier, more independent lives at home.
“Our clinicians are the crown jewel of Nuclear Care Partners, and their fingerprints are all over the lives of our patients,” says Jenna Noem, RN, BSN, co-founder and CEO. “We are known for our care, but behind the scenes there is advocacy, innovation, research, and outcomes tracking all of which collectively set a higher standard of care for this population.”
A legacy that deserves the best care
Nevada’s nuclear legacy runs deep. Thousands of men and women served at the Nevada Test Site, now the Nevada National Security Site. For many, that service came with lasting consequences—cancers, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory illness and other conditions tied to toxic exposures. These workers form a community unlike any other, one that requires not only specialized, long-term care delivered in the home but also a partner who honors their sacrifice with dignity, clinical excellence and unshakable integrity.
“I first met and fell in love with this patient population while working in rural New Mexico and rural Nevada,” Noem says. “They served our country in secrecy, then decades later faced cancer, respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Caring for them is a privilege and an honor.”
Care you can feel, infrastructure you can trust
The part you can feel is the relationship: nurses who feel like family, care that meets people where they are physically and emotionally. Behind every visit is a clinical team that tracks progress, coordinates with physicians, and focuses on measurable outcomes. This is a purpose-built infrastructure for the conditions that affect former Department of Energy workers.
Nuclear Care Partners invests in training so that patients receive the right care, the right way, at the right time. Generalized clinicians join the organization and deepen their expertise through Nuclear Care Partner’s specialized education, including off-site hemodialysis training with dialysis experts, which the organization funds so nurses can become certified. Family caregivers can be trained in the home to support long-term goals and independence.
“It is not just showing up. We track day to day and outcomes, and we refine programs based on what works to get our patients closer to their health goals,” Noem says.
Innovation that meets complex needs at home
Care+ Kidney is the nation’s first in-home kidney care program built specifically for former atomic workers living with Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease. In close partnership with each patient’s nephrologist, our specialized nurses bring advanced care directly into the home—delivering personalized treatment plans, in-home dialysis and patient education, all at no-cost to eligible patients. This proactive approach is designed to reduce hospitalizations, prevent complications and empower patients to live more independently with a higher quality of life.
“When I was a nurse and case manager, I often saw kidney disease alongside other serious health conditions in these workers but for years I was told it wasn’t related to their workplace exposure,” Noem says. “Seventeen years later, we’ve established the clinical link and built a program just for them. Every week we see meaningful improvements in our patients’ lives, which is both exciting and deeply rewarding.”
Advocacy that protects access to care
At Nuclear Care Partners, elevating the standard of care means more than delivering exceptional in-home care—it means leading the way in shaping what care looks like for former atomic workers in the future. Nuclear Care Partners became the first provider in this space to earn national accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, setting a higher standard for quality, compliance, and outcomes that others now follow. They also formed an industry-wide coalition to support the Health Care for Energy Workers Act, legislation that was introduced in June, which would broaden and expedite access to benefits under the EEOICPA. “I know that we can do more together for these workers than any one of us can do alone,” says Noem. “The way we lead today will define the care they receive for the next decade.”
The promise
Noem adds, “We call it ‘Our Heart. Your Health.’ It is more than a tagline. It is our promise to deliver compassionate, personalized care, backed by evidence, clinical rigor, and advocacy that expands access, raises care standards and furthers the health goals of every former atomic worker we serve.”
If you or a loved one worked at the Nevada Test Site and are living with an illness, learn what is available to you under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Visit NuclearCarePartners.com, and consider voicing support for the Health Care for Energy Workers Act.